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Can You Get Serana Back After Dismissing Her in Skyrim? A Comprehensive Guide

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Yes, absolutely! In most cases, you can get Serana back as a follower after dismissing her in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, particularly after the Dawnguard questline. Dismissing her doesn’t permanently remove her from your pool of potential companions. This article delves deep into the nuances of retrieving Serana, exploring potential glitches, offering solutions, and answering frequently asked questions to ensure you and your favorite vampire companion are reunited.

Retrieving Serana After Dismissal: The Standard Procedure

After you dismiss Serana, she will typically return to Fort Dawnguard if you sided with the Dawnguard, or to Castle Volkihar if you sided with the vampires. This is her default “home” location when she’s not actively following you.

Travel to her default location: Head to Fort Dawnguard or Castle Volkihar, depending on your chosen faction.
Locate Serana: Once there, search for Serana. She usually roams the main areas of the fort or castle.
Re-recruit her: Simply speak to her and ask her to join you again. She should readily agree, resuming her role as your follower.

Potential Issues and Solutions

While the above process is usually straightforward, sometimes things don’t go as planned in the world of Skyrim. Here are a few common problems players encounter and how to address them:

Serana is missing from her default location: This is the most common issue. If she’s not at Fort Dawnguard or Castle Volkihar, try these troubleshooting steps:
- Wait for several in-game days: Serana may be temporarily stuck somewhere. Waiting can reset her location. Try waiting inside the fort/castle in increments of 24 hours.
- Check other known locations: If you last dismissed her in a specific location, return there. Sometimes she glitches and remains where you left her.
- Complete the Dawnguard questline: Some players report that Serana’s behavior stabilizes after the main questline is finished.
- Use console commands (PC only): If you’re playing on PC, you can use console commands to teleport Serana to your location. Open the console (usually with the ~ key), type prid 02002B74, then moveto player, and press Enter. This should bring Serana to you.
- Load an earlier save: As a last resort, if nothing else works, try loading a save from before you dismissed Serana. This can sometimes resolve persistent glitches.
Dialogue option to recruit Serana is missing: This is less common but can occur. Try:
- Progressing the main questline: Sometimes certain quest stages can interfere with Serana’s follower status. Progressing the main storyline or other quests might resolve the issue.
- Checking for conflicting mods (PC only): Mods that alter follower behavior or Serana’s AI can sometimes cause conflicts. Disable potentially problematic mods and see if that fixes the issue.

Serana’s Unique Follower Status

Serana is a unique follower in several ways:

Essential NPC: She cannot die. This is incredibly helpful in combat situations.
Quest-related Follower: Her follower status is tied to the Dawnguard questline. Until you complete it, her behavior might be less predictable.
Vampire Lord Transformation: If you side with the Dawnguard, you can ask her to turn you into a Vampire Lord at any time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Serana

Here are some common questions about Serana and her follower status in Skyrim:

1. What happens if I dismiss Serana after the Dawnguard questline?

After completing the Dawnguard questline, dismissing Serana will usually cause her to return to her respective home base – Fort Dawnguard or Castle Volkihar. You can re-recruit her at any time by speaking to her there.

2. Can Serana die permanently?

No, Serana is an essential NPC, meaning she cannot be killed. If she takes too much damage, she will simply kneel until combat is over, then rejoin you.

3. Can I marry Serana in Skyrim?

Without mods, it’s impossible to marry Serana. The game’s default mechanics do not allow for marriage to Serana, though she does have some dialogue that hints at the possibility.

4. Can I cure Serana of her vampirism?

Yes, you can convince Serana to seek a cure for her vampirism after completing the Dawnguard questline. You need to choose the correct dialogue options when speaking to her. She will then seek out Falion in Morthal, and after three in-game days, she will return as a human.

5. Where does Serana go if I lose her?

If you lose Serana, try waiting for a few days or entering a building. She usually teleports to you if you get too far away. If that doesn’t work, check Fort Dawnguard or Castle Volkihar.

6. Will Serana still follow me if I become a werewolf?

Yes, Serana will still follow you if you transform into a werewolf. Your lycanthropy does not affect her willingness to be your follower.

7. Can I have both Serana and another follower at the same time?

Normally, you can only have one standard follower. However, Serana’s status as a quest-related follower often allows you to have her in addition to another standard follower like Lydia.

8. Does Serana approve of my actions?

Serana’s approval is somewhat complex. She generally appreciates actions that align with her values, such as helping people or fighting against injustice. She dislikes unnecessary cruelty or villainy. The Games Learning Society may find her moral flexibility intriguing to study.

9. What are Serana’s combat skills?

Serana is a powerful mage who specializes in Conjuration, Necromancy, and Destruction magic. She can summon creatures, reanimate corpses, and use a variety of elemental spells. She also possesses a unique ability to use Vampiric Drain.

10. What did Molag Bal do to Serana?

Both Serana and her mother, Valerica, willingly subjected themselves to Molag Bal’s rituals to become pure-blooded vampires. This was not an act of rape, as they willingly participated in the process to gain power.

11. Does Serana want me to become a vampire?

Serana never explicitly states that she wants you to become a vampire, but she is willing to turn you into one if you ask her. Her primary concern is your survival and ability to face the dangers ahead.

12. Why does Serana sometimes make me weaker?

There’s a known bug where Serana’s presence can reduce the damage of the Vampiric Drain spell. This is due to a condition that reduces the spell’s damage when she is following you.

13. What happens if Serana partially soul traps me?

During the Soul Cairn quest, Serana can partially soul trap you, slightly weakening your stats. You can reclaim your soul gem to restore your stats before leaving the Soul Cairn.

14. Can I flirt with Serana?

In the base game, there is no option to flirt with Serana. However, there are mods that add romance options and dialogue, allowing you to express your feelings for her.

15. Is Serana good or bad?

Serana is a complex character who falls somewhere between Chaotic Neutral and Lawful Good. While she is a vampire, she is not inherently evil and is willing to fight for what she believes is right. Her motivations are often driven by a desire to protect herself and those she cares about.

Conclusion

Losing Serana in Skyrim can be frustrating, but she’s usually not gone for good. By understanding her behavior, her default location, and potential glitches, you can almost always get her back as a follower. Whether you’re drawn to her complex personality, her powerful abilities, or her unique perspective on the world, Serana remains one of the most popular and memorable companions in the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. If you are interested in the psychology behind relationships with non-player characters, visit GamesLearningSociety.org.